Construction Job Losses Accelerate in Major US Metro Areas

May 31, 2011

Photo credit: Associated General Contractors

Construction employment declined between April 2010 and April 2011 in 179 out of 337 metropolitan areas (including divisions of larger metros) for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides data, increased in 114 and stayed level in 44.

The Associated General Contractors' analysis of the data points out that in March, 151 metros lost construction jobs compared with 12 months earlier and 134 added jobs, underscoring the month's acceleration in construction job losses.

Metro data are not seasonally adjusted and usually combine mining and logging with construction to avoid disclosing information about industries with few employers.